5 Ways Apple Can Improve Its iPad Lineup in 2019

Without a doubt, the iPad is the dominant tablet on the market. And it’s pretty much held its position as the #1 tablet since the original iPad was released nine years ago–all the way back in 2010.

Back then, there was only one model of iPad (with different cellular and storage options). Then Apple added the iPad mini a few years later–and finally the iPad Pro just a few years ago. And well, today, today the iPad lineup is a mess. There are four distinctly different iPad lines and across them, some of the features are very similar and some are very different.

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What that means is in 2019 Apple has the chance to radically overhaul its iPad lineup. Here’s how we suggest they do that.

Bring Face ID and USB-C To The Entry–Level iPad

The “regular” iPad is what Apple calls the iPad 9.7in. Besides being a horrible name, it still retains the familiar iPad design: a slate tablet with a Touch ID home button and Lightning port. Last year Apple ditched the home button on the iPad Pro and replaced it with Face ID and USB-C. It’s time to bring the same design aesthetic and port over to the regular iPad.

If Apple did this, it would get plenty of iPad Air 2 owners and later, like me, to upgrade their perfectly good iPad to the all-new design. Plus and edge-to-edge display would just look fantastic on the regular-sized iPad. And since USB-C is Apple’s new connection port of choice, let's hope the 2019 iPad 9.7 sports the new port.

Release a New iPad mini with Face ID

Apple sells only one iPad mini with the horrible brand name “iPad mini 4”. The thing is, this iPad mini hasn’t been updated for almost two years. Plus it still features Apple’s A8 chipset, which is a 5-year-old processor.

All this means the iPad mini is ripe for a major update in 2019. Here’s hoping it too ditches the home button in favor of Face ID and ditches Lightning in favor of USB-C.

Apple Pencil 2 Support All Around

Last year Apple added Apple Pencil support for the iPad 9.7–a very welcome surprise. The thing is, Apple has since unveiled the Apple Pencil 2 for its new iPad Pros. The Apple Pencil 2 is not backwards compatible though.

It’s my hope that Apple adds Apple Pencil 2 support to ALL iPads it releases in 2019, from the Pros to the mini.

Simplify The Lineup

Apple’s iPad lineup is kind of confusing. There are two different models of iPad Pro–and no, I’m not talking screen size. There is the iPad Pro with Face ID, which comes in 12.9in and 11in displays. Then there is the iPad Pro with Touch ID that has a 10.5in screen.

And of course, there is the “iPad 9.7” and then the “iPad mini 4”. What Apple needs to do is declutter the iPad lineup in 2019. Sell only the 12.9in and 11in iPad Pros with Face ID, the new “regular” iPad with Face ID, and then the new iPad mini (and don’t call it the “iPad mini 5”).

Add Apple Pencil 2 support for all those iPads across the board and you have a swatch of customers throwing their money at Apple.

Lower The Prices

Finally, lower the iPad prices in 2019. Start off with the new iPad mini at £249, the new “regular” iPad starting at £299, and the new 12.9in and 11in iPad Pro at £899 and £699, respectively.

Of course, models with higher storage or cellular would cost more. Lowering the prices to those I recommended wouldn’t make them that much cheaper than they are today, but it would go so much further to tempting people like me who think they can get away with their current old iPad for another few years into upgrading this year.

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